To Tame a Stray Cat
by ZePuKa
Summary: There were few puzzles Pascal couldn't solve, and Hubert was one of them. Dancing was another. Picks up where Lineage and Legacies left off and will probably contain a painful amount of fluff. But hey, these two are the perfect recipe for romantic comedy! [Hiatus]
1. Of Machines and Men

**A/N:** Well if you've even gotten this far, kudos to you! I know Tales of Graces isn't the most popular Tales game, not by a long shot, and this dusty little corner of FF-net is pretty much abandoned. So if you are indeed reading this, THANK YOU! Your reading this means so much to me!

I only recently started playing Tales games, and I've been playing them pretty much backwards. So I started with Xillia, then Xillia 2, and then Graces. I didn't realize until about halfway through Xillia 2 that you can miss SO much stuff (mainly skits) if you don't have a guide or haven't played Tales games before. So I really missed the chance to get to know the characters. Hence Graces is the first Tales game where I really got the full experience getting to know and fall in love with the characters. Two characters really became my favorites over time, even though I started off not liking them very much. Yup! You guessed it! Those characters were Hubert and Pascal! And they ended up having such a cute little love story to tell, yet by the end of the game, their story had only just begun (don't get me wrong – I thought they handled their love story VERY well, they just left it at a beginning, and I wanted to finish it). This story is my tribute to them and the game - my first fully-experienced Tales game.

 **Disclaimer:** Tales of Graces and all its characters are owned by Namco and all the people who put so much effort into making the game a reality. I own none of it, I only write as a fan of their hard work and seek to build on top of what they masterfully created. Direct quotes from the game will be in _'single quoted italics'_ so that it's clear that particular material is not my own. Not to be confused with items that are simply in italics, which I use to denote thoughts when they're in the same sentence as narration.

 **Chapter 1 – Of Machines and Men***

 _-P-_

"Pascal, you look positively radiant!" Hubert exclaimed, offering the crook of his arm to escort her.

"I feel ridiculous, like all those little spokey-things are gonna go all _PATANG!_ on me if I breathe too hard." Pascal complained, squirming uncomfortably as she adjusted her stance to thread her arm through his.

"Nonsense. My father has selected only the dullest and slowest of music for the night, so you won't have to dance too strenuously anyway." He reassured with his calm and commanding voice, though it didn't serve to ease her nerves like it usually did.

She only nodded in response, unable to speak as she took in the grandeur of the dance hall they had just entered. A part of her wanted to freak out about the architecture and get right to work making a thorough study of it – _how DID they manage to rig that shiny lighty thing hanging from the center of the ceiling with so much glitter-glammer!? Was that fire eleth? But no, it definitely LOOKED like water eleth, but it was behaving like fire eleth…_ Shaking her head to clear her mind and focus on the task at hand, she poured all her energy into making sure she didn't trip and fall walking in these ridiculous shoes Poisson had picked out for her.

It all seemed like a dream; without realizing how she'd gotten to this point, she was suddenly spinning in the center of the dance floor, masterfully led by Hubert's strong arms and sure steps, and he was close, so very close. She'd never danced – not like this, anyway – before, and yet here she was, floating on air and no doubt looking every bit as graceful as Hubert was making her feel. Yes, that had to be fire eleth in the chandelier, for she was suddenly burning up as he drew her closer and she could feel his breath upon her cheek…

"Pascal…" he whispered, and she turned to see cerulean eyes gazing intently into her own, those eyes that always conveyed such conviction and intelligence, now filled with tenderness and coming closer…

 _CLANG! WHIZ! CRASH!_

"PASCAL!" Fourier screamed, barging into the room, but was unable to continue her screams as she began sputtering and coughing as she waved away the smoke. _Smoke? Where did that come from?_

Blinking once to orient herself, Pascal found herself not in a grand ballroom, but in her room at the Amarcian Enclave, which was looking worse for wear with not only the usual mess, but also her newest project, which right now resembled a smoking hot pile of scrap metal… probably because it was literally smoking.

"Come with me outside this instant!" Fourier demanded, seizing the dazed engineer by the elbow and dragging her outside.

Coming to her senses enough to take in her surroundings, Pascal gasped, "Hey! You broke my door!"

"And YOU broke your promise to never lock your door after you nearly starved to death when you got so wrapped up in your research that you forgot to eat for five days and Poisson couldn't get in to deliver your meals!"

"Heh, whoops… guess I forgot." Pascal confessed with a sheepish grin, clasping her hands behind her head and hoping to calm her sister with her usual lackadaisical charm.

"You're just lucky I had the proper tools to knock your door down, otherwise you could've passed out from all that smoke! Honestly, Pascal, I just don't know what to do with you anymore!" her elder sister huffed, crossing her arms and tapping her foot in frustration. "I'd tell you to go to your room and try to get some rest since you so obviously need it, but thanks to you, that's now out of the question. So why don't you just march over to the inn and get yourself a room for the night until yours can be cleaned up?"

Judging by her harsher-than-usual tone, Pascal guessed it was more of a command than a suggestion, so she just shrugged her shoulders and gave a "Y'okay!", following the order and securing a nice room at the inn with a great view of the chocolate fountain*.

Now alone and without any tech to tinker with, Pascal found herself unable to hold back the flood of thought that had been beating against the dam of distraction for months. Darn this mind of hers, always running a mile a minute. If she didn't focus on keeping her mind busy with projects, it busied itself with memories and feelings that she just didn't want to think about. Though recently even that tactic had begun to buckle under the strain, as evidenced by her daydreaming in her room, those thoughts undeterred by her attempts to distract herself with a little side project she had been hoping would facilitate the Fendalian research her sister was working on.

 _'My every waking thought is consumed by you…'_ He'd so brazenly stated back then, and now the same was true of her. It's like speaking those words had caused a virus to spread and it had since consumed her, little by little, 'til she reached her breaking point and could no longer think of anything else. Tired of fighting it, she let her mind wander back to the events of that night, though she knew nothing new would come from yet another analysis of the memory. She'd been through all the permutations; there was no more knowledge or revelation she could glean from it, yet the memory just begged to be revisited time and time again.

 _\- Telos Astue, 1 Year Ago -_

 _'Even now I'm considering an offer of marriage…'_ Hubert boasted, asserting his age and maturity in the hopes that Pascal would stop addressing him as 'Lil Bro'.

Indeed she had been shocked, for the prospect of Lil' Bro getting married had never occurred to her. To be fair, the prospect of ANY person getting married never really occurred to her until they announced it. Her engineer's mind really only focused on the science-y things, leaving little room for more delicate topics. Nonetheless, if it was Hubert, she'd make the effort to care, even if it wasn't a technical matter. This was a happy occasion for him; she should give it her full support and congratulate him! ' _You're getting married, Little Bro? Aw, congratulations!_ '

' _C-congrat… No! That's not… I'm not going to accept!_ '

That caught her off guard, moreso than his marriage announcement had. Weren't people usually _happy_ to be married? She needed more data to understand what he was telling her – why would he announce his marriage then shoot down her congratulations like that, like he hadn't even considered they would be offered. Hubert – the very definition of social etiquette, now flabbergasted at a completely natural response…? It made no sense. _'Wha? How come?'_

 _'Because I… Because…'_

Hubert was rarely at a loss for words, that is, unless he was embarrassed about something. Why would he be embarrassed about turning down a marriage proposal? Was it because he felt inferior to the bridal prospect? No, Little Bro was a man of pride… Perhaps he liked someone else? Plausible… Or perhaps… was he gay? Hm, maybe not… The way he got distracted by Cheria's skirt and his sometimes-shy behavior around herself… no, he was definitely appreciative of the female physique. Maybe he was just intimidated by women in general? Pascal leaned forward in anticipation, excited to discover the truth behind this mystery.

 _'Because my every waking thought is consumed by you!'_ He blurted in a single moment of courage, causing Pascal to recoil in sheer shock.

What!? Pascal's mind was suddenly reeling, for that was NOT the answer she'd been anticipating. She felt the blood rush to her cheeks and her heart start to pound, as she nervously twiddled her fingers trying to think of a response. What had he meant by that? Was it possible it meant what she first thought? That Hubert had feelings for her? She –had- noticed all those glances he seemed to steal, the over-protective attitude he'd gradually grown towards her… and she –had- begun to wonder… ' _Um, yeah… I guess I kinda figured that…'_

' _Y-you did?'_

Hold up a minute, Pascal… just because your theory fits the evidence doesn't mean that it's the truth, or even the most plausible theory applicable. You may be a genius with machines, but when it comes to people – to men, you're quite clueless. It would be totally embarrassing to assume too much here… are there any other possibilities? Yes, he could be saying that because he likes you… but why would a guy like Hubert be interested in you? You're his complete opposite! So maybe it's because there's something about you that annoys him and would thus plague his thoughts… something that's contradictory to his very nature… His nature being very gentlemanly, proper, orderly, clean… that's it! Your inability to remain clean and orderly no doubt would be a source of distress at a wedding! That seemed like a far more workable theory. Whew, crisis averted. Seems like he's babbling about something or other, better clear this up now before I cause him anymore distress. _'Don't you worry, Little Bro. I promise to take a bath before the ceremony!'_

' _What!?'_ He had cried, but it was too late now; Pascal had to explain her conclusion even if now it seemed like it might have not been the right one. If it –was- the other… that wasn't a conversation she wanted to have right now anyway… her mind was already in a state of panic over the prospect that had occurred to her with that first theory. Rushing onward onto other topics, she returned her attention back to her Mecha-Asbel contraption and attempted to start it up. However her mind wasn't really focused on the task and she hit the wrong spot, causing a minor explosion.

That's the moment that started it all. Ever since then, her research had suffered as a result of her mind trying to figure out Hubert and what he meant when he said that… and beyond that, what that meant for her… what he meant –to- her.

All during the next day as they fought battle after battle making their way to Fodra's core, she couldn't help but notice how well the two of them fought together, and after awhile, she began to think she'd like to explore that first theory more. So after their final battle with the Little Queen, she decided that to figure this out, she'd have to run some tests – that's how she usually solved problems, anyway. So when the gang dropped her off in Fendel and Fourier presented the purrfect* opportunity to gauge Hubert's response, she put her best effort into looking all cute and alluring and got… mixed results. So she'd decided to follow up with a new pet name and a couple winks, and was a bit more pleased with the results, but she couldn't know for sure. After all, they'd just been in a life-or-death situation, and the fatigue could have been messing with the test conditions.

 _\- Present Day –_

"Ugh, all this analyzing is making my brain go all KER-CHUNK-A-BLOOEY!" the confuzzled Amarcian grumbled as she tousled her hair in the hopes it would clear out all the gunk that was clogging up her brain. "Maybe Fourier is right; maybe I just need a nap…" Now that she mentioned it, she couldn't remember the last time she had slept… Just another side effect of the virus she picked up from Hubert on Telos Astue. Time just seemed to pass so much quicker when she was theorizing on that particular front, and before she knew it, she was missing more meals, naps, and baths than ever, much to Fourier's chagrin. Kicking her shoes off, Pascal flung herself onto the bed with a FWUMP! and was soon sawing logs as her body's need for sleep overpowered her brain's need to figure out the puzzle that was Hubert Oswell.

 **Footnotes**

 **Story Title** – 'To Tame A Stray Cat' is a hats off to the book title 'To Kill a Mockingbird', by Harper Lee. Beyond the title, this story will share no similarities – as least not intentionally. The 'Stray Cat' portion refers to the closing scene of the Lineage and Legacies where the party is dropping off Malik and Pascal in Fendel. To refresh your memory, Pascal's sister (Fourier) calls Pascal a stray cat since she refuses to listen and take a bath, then asks who wants to take care of her, because she is at the end of her rope. She ultimately offers Pascal, who is now acting like a cat, to Hubert, after which Malik takes Hubert aside and wishes him luck, continuing the stray cat analogy and encouraging Hubert to give it time, as he can tame her in time, and then hands him a communicator so he can keep in contact with Pascal.

 **Chapter Title** – 'Of Machines and Men' is a reference to John Steinbeck's "Of Mice and Men", and the title is all that this story will share in similarity. No, I don't plan on continuing this trend of alluding to titles of depressing books set during the depression. To be honest, I haven't even read either of the books I used for parody titles. It's only because they're so famous that they came to mind when I was trying to think of punny titles. If you don't like puns, then get out while you still can.

 **Chocolate Fountain** – Just in case you forgot, the chocolate fountain was the discovery point at the Amarcian Enclave where you can acquire the chocolate resource. The inn desk is directly next to it, so I figure there should be at least a few rooms with a view of the fountain, right?

 **Purrfect** – Yes, I realize that it's supposed to be spelled 'perfect'. I already told you that if you don't like puns you should make like a tree and leaf.


	2. With Great Power Comes Great Respect

**Review Responses**

Holy cow! I actually got reviews! Was not expecting that; thanks guys! I love Love LOVE getting reviews, even if they're short, so please, if you're reading this and enjoying, please review! I love to hear what you think so far, and honestly, reviews kinda poke / motivate me when I'm slacking off or being lazy with updates…

 **The Tambourine Man** – It's such a shame! I know TOG isn't the most popular Tales game, but it still had some great characters and hilarious skits. Kinda disappointed it's so sparse here… so cheer's to you for your patronage!

 **Guest** ( _With the Japanese signature 'God of Dragon'_ – Google translate is my friend. The only character I recognize is the circle-looking one that I think says 'no' and means 'of', and the only reason I speculate that is because Fullmetal Alchemist is the best manga ever and I recognize the character from the Japanese title and I'll stop rambling now…) – I'm so glad you liked it, agreed, and thought it was funny! I was reading a bunch of fanfics here and every one I read that had Pascal's reaction to Hubert's confession I just felt was a total misinterpretation… Not that those fanfics weren't good, I just thought they completely misunderstood her thought process at that point. So I felt the need to study the scene and write my own interpretation based on Pascal's character as a whole. I probably watched the confession scene 3 dozen times before I was satisfied with my analysis, so I'm glad it paid off, if only for 1 reader!

* * *

 **Chapter 2 – With Great Power Comes Great Respect***

 _-H-_

 _-Yu Liberte, 1 year after Hubert's adoption-_

"Sunscreen rangers, go!" Hubert shouted as he posed his red action figure to lead the charge with the other ranger figures lined across the banister. Being torn apart from his family hadn't been ENTIRELY bad. If he'd never come to Strahta, he'd never have been introduced to the awesomeness that was _The Sunscreen Rangers!_

"Pow, pow-pow!" he called, perfectly executing one of Red's signature moves and taking out the evil Dr. Shark, currently played by a blue throw pillow. Everything was going according to plan, and soon the world would be saved once again by the always-victorious Beach Brigade, when suddenly –

"Hubert Oswell!" a gruff, angry voice interrupted with authority in his tone.

Hubert flinched, still not used to the change in surname, which his new paternal figure seemed to notice, and hence took every opportunity to use it as a stark reminder of Hubert's misfortunes. "Yes, father?" The last word was forced, for Hubert had never thought of this man as his father, yet he'd learned the hard way that if he didn't address the man as such, there'd be dire consequences.

"Just what do you think you're doing!?" Mr. Oswell barked, already making it clear that he didn't approve of it, no matter what it happened to be.

"I was j-just playing…"

"And have you finished your homework and chores yet?"

"Y-yes, father."

"Really? All of it?"

"Yes!"

"Well then, what do you call this?"

Hubert gulped as he tried to think of an excuse. This was bad. He had thought that he'd be allowed to play if he worked _really_ hard to get all his work done. He had been looking forward to today with great anticipation, as it was the first day in weeks he'd be able to finish up his work and have time to play. As it was, he only got to read the Sunscreen Rangers comics when he was pretending to read his history lesson, and he only got to do that when his new cousin Raymond* smuggled him an issue when they had a lesson together. "I-I thought I was allowed to play after I finished my work…"

"Play!? You are now an Oswell, Hubert! Oswells don't have time for useless, unproductive activities! Where did you even get those useless figurines?"

No use lying to the man; he just hoped he wasn't throwing his cousin under the bus with this confession, "Raymond gave them to me."

"Raymond is an idiot. The whole reason I adopted you was because I believed you were smarter and more capable than he."

The man phrased it like it were a compliment, but Hubert knew better. It was chastising for falling below his expectations. It didn't matter how much Hubert studied; if his new father caught him 'slacking off', it wouldn't be good enough. Hubert grit his teeth, chomping at the bit to make a stand, but knowing the more advantageous path was to go along with whatever his new 'father' had in mind. It just wasn't fair, any of this. His father – that is, Aston Lhant, his biological father – had been a bad enough father as it was, but at least he knew there was a time for play. Now he was out of the frying pan and into the fire, as they say… But to be fair, this new father hadn't so easily cast him aside like he was worthless… yet. If his new father caught him playing again, would he be shipped off to yet another father? Hubert shivered at the thought, steeling his resolve to prove his worth and avoid another paternal rejection.

"I'm sorry, father. I'll make sure it never happens again. I'll work harder than ever to represent the Oswell name." The 11-year-old stated with head held erect, his blue eyes leveled with Mr. Oswell's brown ones, conveying his determination.

"That's a good boy!" Mr. Oswell exclaimed, clapping Hubert on the shoulder. "The only way to gain respect is through power, my boy! And once you have power and the utmost respect of the people around you, THEN and ONLY then may you indulge whatever useless pleasure you will. Why…" He paused here, leaning in and whispering conspiratorially into the boy's ear, "I'm still waiting for the day when I, or someone in the Oswell line, is president before I let down my guard and indulge in those cooking lessons I want."

"Cooking? You?" Hubert gasped in hushed amazement, eyes growing wide. If there was one thing he'd learned about his new father, it was that he was, well, rather sexist and thought that certain tasks, such as cooking, were for 'the womenfolk' only. Having grown up with Cheria, he definitely disagreed with this assessment. Aside from what her illness prevented, Cheria had every desire to undertake all the same tasks the boys had, and excelled at whatever she put her mind to. They'd even had some good discussions during their studies in health class, getting into the science behind it and everything – something his new father would never approve of, since medicinal studies were for 'menfolk'. This new revelation put Mr. Oswell in a new light. Maybe it wasn't so much that he was close-minded, but that he cared very deeply about what public opinion thought of him - for good reason, it seemed, if his most recent words of wisdom proved true.

"It's our little secret, my son." He said with a wink that Hubert interpreted to be both solemn and binding; he figured there'd be hell to pay if he ever spoke of it. In a way, though, it made him swell with pride that his new father would entrust him with such a secret, and suddenly he felt like he could learn a lot from this man; he'd just have to work hard.

"I see now that you've been grossly under taught about the ways of society," Mr. Oswell continued, shaking his head in disappointment, "but that can easily be remedied. The military is the easiest route for that, and it kills two birds with one stone, as you'll be gaining influence at the same time…"

Hubert's eyes widened in shock, and he was relieved to see that his father hadn't noticed and was continuing to prattle on about the military, for it gave him time to process this sudden news. _'What!? The militia!? But… I always wanted to be a scholar… a scientist or a professor!'_ His mind reeled as he realized his new father's path for him was drastically different than Hubert had assumed he would tread. Maybe he didn't want to learn from this man after all. With each passing second, it felt more and more like he was on an emotional roller coaster, trying to reconcile if this change of family would ultimately be good or bad for him. He held his tongue as his father continued, willing to at least hear the man out before he gave into despair.

"…but until next year when you will be of age to enlist, I can at least arrange for you to take social etiquette lessons in the meantime. …Do you know how to dance, my boy?"

"Do I… what?" the flustered youth asked, taken off-guard by the seemingly random question.

"I said, do you dance? You'll never get far in high society without proper learning, combat training, and social etiquette. The latter includes table manners, proper dress, conversational aptitude, and dancing. You'll be attending many a ball and social gathering in this town. It is what we notable members of Yu Liberte do in our spare time. In fact, the Darbanvilles* are having a ball in about two months' time to celebrate their daughter's birthday. We'll need you ready in time for that."

Hubert listened to his father go on and on about the importance of social etiquette and the arrangements he'd be making for Hubert to learn them. It all sounded quite daunting, and he was beginning to wonder if he'd even have time to sleep this year at this rate.

 _\- The Darbanvilles' ball, 2 months later –_

"Oswells don't have time for useless, unproductive activities!" Hubert muttered under his breath mockingly as he tried his best to maintain isolation in a corner. Such hypocrisy. If ever there was a useless, unproductive activity, here it was, staring him in the face. There wasn't a single constructive point to this social gathering. Everyone was either dancing or making idle conversation, flitting about in their useless, unproductive fancy clothing saying useless, unproductive things. He'd MUCH rather be at home, saving the furniture from the tyranny of the blue throw pillow (that is, the EVIL Dr. Shark!) with the rest of the Beach Brigade. Heck, he'd rather be home studying the encyclopedia like he used to do back in Lhant. He actually found research fascinating and enjoyed learning more about the sciences. He backed away instinctively as a flurry of lace from one of the ladies' dresses clipped his cheek as she twirled past him. Ugh, it was too hot and crowded in here… At this rate, he'd be happier being back home and doing ANYTHING other than being here. He had thought the STUDY of social etiquette he'd been forced to pursue was unbearable, but this? _'Just kill me now… my epitaph shall be: He was too young and practical to handle the frivolities of high society. I leave my Sunscreen Rangers collection to Raymond, as he was the one to give them to me in the first place. Tell Marian she needn't pay me back for the tools I gave her*…'_

"Hubert!" a small voice cried, hailing him with equally small and limber arm. ' _Well speak of the devil… I didn't know she'd be here'._

"Oh, good evening, miss Marian." Hubert responded as he approached, stopping just short of an arm's distance away and bowing at the waist like he'd recently been taught.

"Hubert…" she responded in near-whisper, her cheeks taking on a pink hue. It seemed he'd startled her, for she looked like a deer in the headlights, all doe-eyed with mouth hanging slightly ajar. Then again, she often looked that way, shy as she was. She recovered with relative swiftness and promptly curtsied, amending her prior greeting, "I mean, SIR Hubert. Please forgive my boldness, for I am not a guest, merely a hired hand at this event."

"Hired hand? Why?" Hubert asked, puzzled. The thought that she would be here and yet not be a guest confused him, though now that she mentioned it, she WAS the only girl he could see wearing pants and a vested shirt, like a boy, rather than in a fancy frilly dress.

Twiddling her thumbs and blushing with what he assumed was embarrassment, she responded, "I'm not from a high-standing family, Hu- SIR Hubert, you have no idea how lucky I am to even be able to SEE all this fancy stuff; I had to beg the kitchen marm – oh no! There she is! I'd best get back to refreshing the buffet table! See you at school, Hubert! Er, I meant SIR Hubert!"

Hubert tried to follow her after she skipped off, but he got swatted in the face with another ridiculously poofy skirt as another pompous, protruding lady twirled into his path.

"Careful, cousin, or you'll trip someone truly important and incur uncle's wrath." Raymond chided, appearing seemingly out of nowhere. Maybe that was another skill in 'social etiquette': lurking and eavesdropping, for he soon revealed he'd heard Hubert's and Marian's discussion. "Though you've probably already done so, talking to a kitchen hand like that and allowing her to address you so informally."

Hubert forced a polite greeting, knowing what was expected of him, but let his irritation be known in his tone of voice as he added, "There's nothing wrong with addressing a friend less formally, provided no offense will be taken by either party".

"Oh a _friend_ is she? I'd say recently the two of you have been a little more than casually chummy as of late…"

Blushing automatically due to shock at the absurd accusation rather than embarrassment, Hubert denied it immediately, though he could tell Raymond was not convinced. He hinted as much as he then offered unsolicited advice that only served to infuriate Hubert all the more. Raymond either didn't notice or chose to ignore Hubert's mounting anger, though, and only continued making preposterous statements.

"Trust me, Hubert. A girl with no status and no feminine charm is only trouble. Find yourself a refined, accomplished, and flirty companion who has enough sense not to talk back but doesn't think too much to cause trouble. That's what dad and uncle always say. Apparently my aunt, your late Mrs. Oswell, thought she had a brain, but that's what got her killed. Got trampled in an angry mob while promoting women's suffrage a few years back. Can you imagine? Like a girl would even be able to tell the difference between candidates! Why, could you imagine if they allowed girls to vote one day? I can just see it now, stupid little Marian going to the polls and being too stupid to operate the voting machine levers, and too quiet to be heard when she asks for help…"

It was over before Hubert even knew what was happening. The next thing he knew, Raymond was on the ballroom floor, Hubert was on top of him with a fist in Raymond's face, and all the lords and ladies had ceased their dancing to gasp and gawk at the adolescents acting like barbarians.

* * *

 **A/N:** Sorry to end it here! I had originally planned on doing a whole chapter on all of Hubert's views of the past, but since I had all these extra scenes from his childhood, it got way too long. I hope that's not too unfair to Pascal… she's only got one chapter of prelude, whereas Hubert gets two now. But you know, Hubert's past is a lot more crucial to his character and how he views Pascal… anyways, I hope you all enjoyed it! I hope to finish part two of Hubert's past soon so we can get to the main arc of this story. I know what I want to happen in part two, I just haven't written it yet…

 **Footnotes**

 **Chapter Title** \- 'With Great Power Comes Great Respect' is a reference to the line 'With great power comes great responsibility'; a phrase popularized by the 2002 Spider-Man movie when it was told to Peter Parker by Ben Parker. If you've seen it, then you know of THE FEELS that go with this line. Well, maybe not in my version, but in the Spider-Man movie...

 **Raymond** \- Hubert's cousin in the Oswell family; the douche who kidnapped Cheria then developed inverse Stockholm's syndrome, crushing on her for the rest of the game.

 **Darbanvilles… ball** \- And the geeky references keep coming! Super kudos to anyone who can appreciate this Firefly reference (or the Firefly TV show at all. If you've never seen it, it's on Netflix and Hulu and I highly recommend it). In the episode 'Safe', Simon Tam is trying to convince his parents that something has happened to his sister River at her new school. He tries to prove it to them by mentioning a quote from one of her letters mentioning "the Darbanvilles' ball", rationalizing that the Tams don't know any Darbanvilles. Also, Pascal marveling at the chandelier in the first chapter of this fanfic was a loose reference to Kaylee's reaction to the chandelier at the party in the episode "Shindig". Since it was a VERY loose reference, I chose not to include it in the footnotes for that chapter, but since I'm already talking about Firefly in the footnotes in THIS chapter, I figured I'd go ahead and show my hand of obsessive Firefly fangirling cards. It doesn't help that I'm currently re-watching the series…

 **Marian… tools [Hubert] gave her** \- A reference to _Side Quest #34 - Priceless Tools_ , where the party has to find a set of tools belonging to a shop owner named Marian in Yu Liberte. At the end of the quest you learn that Hubert was the one who gave her the set of tools a long time ago, and Marian currently has her heart set on Hubert. A skit afterword ( _#357 – Burning Questions_ ) has Cheria teasing Hubert for it and he reveals that they were in the same military unit at one point. So in all likelihood, Hubert wouldn't have met Marian at this point, before he even joined the military, but if you're really curious about my canon, here it is:

 _Hubert meets Marian at his school shortly after he moves to Yu Liberte. Marian is a shy and awkward girl who's indecisive and doesn't really think for herself, so she becomes fast friends with Hubert as he is also shy and awkward, but very strong in his thinking and decision making. For awhile, he would indulge his hobby of building ships in bottles (it's mentioned during another side quest that Aston Lhant had this hobby and the boys used to make some as well when they were young) inbetween classes and Marian would watch. He eventually taught her how to work with the tools as well, and shortly after his discussion with Mr. Oswell in the first scene of his chapter, he decided to give up the hobby since it wasn't useful or productive. When Marian asks why he would suddenly give it up and give his tools to her, he says, 'I just want to work hard towards my goals in life, so I shouldn't be dawdling around with useless distractions. Besides, you're getting much better at it than me; you could even have your own workshop someday I bet!', in an effort to distract her from asking more uncomfortable questions. She takes him seriously though and makes it her goal, even though she later on briefly follows him into the military to be close to him, as she's had a crush on him ever since he gave her the tools. Obviously, Hubert wanted to avoid further teasing from Cheria during the 'Burning Questions' skit, so he tells the partial truth of 'She was just in the same unit as me once!' since he knew that divulging that they were also classmates and childhood friends would be more incriminating._

 _ **For news / updates on this and other stories in-between chapter postings, check out my author's profile!**_


	3. Adventure is Out There!

_**Author's Note**_ **:** Hello readers, I apologize this chapter is so late. It's been my goal to have each chapter posted within 6 weeks of the last, but alas, life is busy. March – May has seen illness, social events, and a death in the family. As such, I wish to dedicate this chapter (if that's allowed, anyway… not sure writing can be dedicated if it's fanfiction) to my sweet cousin, who's gentle and kind graces were too soon removed from this world.

 _ **Review Responses:**_ Wherein I address any questions/comments/concerns you lovely readers have graced me with.

 _Pringles & Ryuu No Kami_ – Really? I have read a fair amount of HuScal fanfiction and I didn't see anything about Hubert's childhood… but I never would have guessed that it's possible I'm the first. I only planned a few glimpses into his childhood in this fic, but now I'm thinking I may need to add a little more, or develop a separate fic that takes place entirely in his childhood… Nooo rabbit trails, go away! It's time to focus! FOCUS!

 _All other reviewers and readers_ – Thank you for your continued support and reading along thus far! I hope this chapter continues to pique your interest; you are what makes the countless hours of writing, revising, and banging my head against the wall when I get writer's block worthwhile!

* * *

 **Chapter 3 – Adventure is Out There!***

 _-H-_

 _\- Yu Liberte, 2 weeks after the Darbanvilles' ball -_

Hubert stood facing the northern gate of Yu Liberte*, resolve firm and heart pounding. He had carefully constructed his plan, researching and detailing every aspect of it for a week now. In precisely two minutes, the guard at the gate would momentarily leave his post to relieve himself of whatever beverage he had imbibed before his shift started. That gave Hubert a three-minute window to run up to the gate, unlock it with the spare gate-keeper's key he had taken from his father's study, and slip out into the desert. From there, it was a few hours' journey to the seaport, where he'd find work as a cabin boy on a ship* and never get forced by a father-figure into something he didn't want to do ever again. The events that concluded the Darbanvilles' ball sealed his fate, cutting him off from any hope of pursuing higher knowledge. Rather than resign himself to a grim fate of joining the military, he may as well pursue his boat-loving hobby and become a man of the sea.

One minute left…

 _\- Yu Liberte, the Darbanvilles' ball 2 weeks prior –_

"Heh heh, sorry, folks. Boys will be boys! They're just SO eager to start their military training! Please excuse us." Garret Oswell placated the curious crowd before ushering the two juveniles into a side room.

It took a moment for Hubert to find his bearings; everything had just happened so fast, so he wasn't prepared for the barrage of questions that followed.

"What WAS that out there? Who caused that light? Has that ever happened before?" Mr. Oswell demanded to know, asking questions that Hubert thought shouldn't be as important as 'Are you hurt?', 'Why were you fighting?' or even 'How could you behave like mutts and sully the Oswell name?". Really, ANY other questions would have been more anticipated than the ones that were asked. A little over a year with this man and Hubert still hadn't even begun to unravel the man's true motives and intentions. Cruelty aside, the scholar in Hubert couldn't help but admire the man's quick thinking and tactical prowess he'd just exhibited in avoiding a major scene.

"Uncle Garret, Hubert – he… he…" Raymond accused, though faltering as it became apparent he didn't really know the answers either. Hubert couldn't help but feel a little self-satisfaction as he noticed a red welt developing on his cousin's cheekbone, and the hint of fear now present in his eyes. If nothing else good came of this, perhaps Raymond will have least learned to mind his tongue a little more.

"So it was you, Hubert? You produced that display of power?" Garret continued, backing his adoptive son into a corner.

"I… I don't kn-know…" All confidence Hubert had acquired from his domination over his cousin quickly vanished in the shadow of his father, bearing over him with a dangerous sparkle in his eye.

Realizing he wasn't going to get any more information from a direct interrogation, Garrett informed the boys that they were leaving the party post-haste so they could get an early start on training in the morning. The two boys moaned in protest but muted as soon as Garrett threatened a harsher punishment.

The next few days had been brutal, Garrett forcing the boys to fight each other as a military prep exercise, but Hubert quickly caught on that his father was trying to get them to recreate the events of the Darbanvilles' ball – to tap into that power. The longer this went on with no results, the angrier Mr. Oswell became and the harder he drove Raymond and Hubert.

The final straw dropped when Hubert begged for a break because he was behind in his studies – something he was sure his father would respect, driven as he was for Hubert to excel and work hard in every area of his education. He was therefore shocked when he instead went on a tirade about how wasteful Hubert was being of his talents and how there was no other path for him than one with an early start in the military. That same day, Hubert began planning his escape.

 _\- Yu Liberte, precisely when the guard at the gate leaves to relieve himself –_

Now that his plans were unfolding perfectly before him, his hands began to shake slightly as adrenaline took over and he ran towards the gate – towards freedom. Everything had gone according to plan so far, it was positively exhilarating. When he collided with another body suddenly, it was all he could do to suppress a startled cry so that it came out more of a squeak. Scared to death that it was a guard, Raymond, or worse - his father, Hubert instinctively took a leap backwards and prepared for the worst.

"M-Marian!?" He exclaimed once he identified the humanoid mass. "W-what are you doing here?!"

"I could ask you the same question." She responded simply, dusting off her pants where they had collided. "I noticed you wandering about during the night a couple nights ago when I was running an errand for the missus. I've been worried about you ever since that stupid ball, so… I've been following you."

Taken aback by her directness, for she was usually so soft-spoken, Hubert couldn't respond immediately, and wasted a precious few seconds before he found his voice and replied, "I'm sorry, Marian, I don't have time for explanations. I'm running away and now's my only opportunity."

"What!?" She exclaimed, following him as he made his way to the gate. Clearly whatever she had thought he had been doing those nights when he was doing reconnaissance, she hadn't thought of escape.

"I can't live here any longer and be forced to become something that I'm not!" Hubert yelled in defense, momentarily forgetting the need for stealth. Making sure no one was watching them, Hubert inserted his key and slowly turned it until he heard a satisfying 'click'.

"But… there's monsters out in the desert! You'll never make it!"

Scoffing at her doubt towards his research abilities, he reassured her, "Yes, I know, but don't worry; my brother and I used to fight monsters all the time." He brandished an oak walking stick* he'd swiped from the Oswell manor to emphasize his point. "I must go now, the guard should be back any second now."

"Then… take me with you!" Marian said, her usual shy tone resuming.

"What!?" he whispered in a frustrated hiss.

"If you don't, I'll scream."

Momentarily assessing the probability of Marian even being capable of screaming, Hubert ultimately decided it wasn't worth the risk and just gave an exasperated sigh of defeat. "Fine, but stay close!" With that, he pushed open the doorway to his freedom and the two of them stepped out into the night.

* * *

"Hubert, look out!" Marian screamed, making Hubert glad he took the safe bet concerning her potential noise level. If they made it out of this scrape alive, he'd have to have a chat with her about maybe letting this more vibrant side of herself out more. However the situation was not looking good. They'd only gone maybe half an hour's distance before they happened upon a monster's feeding grounds, and by the looks of things, he wasn't going to be sharing anytime soon.

Hubert's breath grew ragged as he twirled the walking stick like a bo staff, hitting the monster from both ends repeatedly, yet not seeming to phase it much at all. Seeing an opportunity, the monster struck Hubert with enough force to knock him back a few feet, where he collapsed, winded and wounded.

"No! Hubert!" Marian cried, rushing forward to help.

"No, stay back!" Hubert commanded, shakily finding his feet again. He had to protect Marian, but how? This monster was so strong – far stronger than any of the creatures he and Asbel had fought back in the foothills of Lhant. Without waiting for him to regain his footing or think up a plan, the monster lunged again, and instinctively, Hubert swung out his staff to protect himself, and that's when it happened again – a bright light and a sudden warmth in his body that granted him far more strength than he'd ever felt before. With a mighty swing and an intimidating battle cry, Hubert struck a powerful, final blow, subduing his enemy once and for all.

Just as soon as it came, the strength left him, and he collapsed to the ground once more.

"Hubert!" Marian rushed to his side, hindered no more by the dead beast, and looked him over. "A-are you hurt anywhere?! I have an apple gel; here, take it!"

Thankful for the contrast of Marian's reaction with his father's, he gratefully accepted the gift and nearly immediately felt better. When it was clear that he was stable, only then did Marian ask what had happened.

"Honestly, I don't really know… it happened once before, at the Darbanvilles' ball… I somehow overpowered Raymond, even though he's older, taller, and stronger than me. Maybe it's some sort of protection mechanism that protects me from stronger foes?"

Looking pensive for a few moments, Marian shook her head. "No… It looked more offensive than defensive to me. Was there any change right before it happened? A change in emotion or thought perhaps?"

Wracking his brain for a few moments, the answer suddenly became clear to him. Both times, he was furiously trying to protect someone he cared about – Marian. He nearly told her this, but then remembered Raymond's comment about the two of them getting close lately. It's not that he was embarrassed about being her friend or anything, but he recalled how Cheria had a habit of hanging her romantic hopes on Asbel all the time and since he wasn't as dense as Asbel was, he wanted to do his best to make sure his intentions were not confused. "I… I think it's because I get so angry that things aren't fair…"

"Hm… I guess that makes sense. Is this why you're running away?"

"In part, yes."

"Maybe… do you think that maybe you're taking the easy way out, instead of using your rare talent for good?"

Anger suddenly flaring up again, Hubert lashed out, "So you're on HIS side!? You want me to join the military as soon as possible too!?" even though he knew Marian's intentions must be pure.

"…Yes. I do."

"WHAT!? You want me to spend my whole life fighting pointless battles like a mindless dog!?"

"Hubert…" Marian said softly, the hurt his outbreak had caused her evident, "I meant from a political side of things. Our government and military are one in the same and with such a gift, you could advance the ranks quickly and maybe someday make a difference… to make Strahta a more fair place. I know you're passionate about justice, so why not take this opportunity? It might be possible to make a difference elsewhere, and I won't stop you from trying, but the path here has already been laid, and… and there's people who care about you here already…"

Anger abating, Hubert's shoulders sagged like a chastised puppy and he flopped his back onto the cool sand in defeat. Marian joined him, lying to his right and staring up at the sky with a contemplative furrow in her brow. They remained like that for what seemed like hours, Hubert silently ruminating about his possible futures as he took in the beauty of the night sky.

The still was ultimately broken when Marian stated, "I'd support you, you know. Once I'm old enough, I'll join the military too."

"What? Women can join the military?" Hubert asked, genuinely surprised that a country so sexist would allow women in the military even though they were banned from voting.

"Yeah, weird, right? I've heard that it was because many years ago Strahta was fighting a war that lasted so long, both sides were running out of soldiers due to the rapidly dwindling male population. Ultimately, Strahta won the war because they made an amendment that allowed women to join the military and they overpowered the enemy with sheer number. I believe that war is also the cause for Strahta's unique set up having government and military so tightly intertwined."

"So they're only reasonable when they have no other choice…" Hubert mused, then with a frustrated cry shouted, "Ugh! I don't understand it! Why can't people just treat everyone else like equals, instead of always having these ignorant ideals and stupid traditions! If everyone just pursued knowledge and enlightened their minds, surely they wouldn't resort to such brutish tactics!"

"So you'll join the military then?"

"What? I said no such thing!"

With a giggle, Marian elaborated, "It's like you said; you get rather impassioned about justice. I know you can't resist the opportunity to try and right the wrongs here."

Was he really so easy to read? He'd have to work on that if he was going to make it anywhere in Strahta. In both the militia and high society, masks for thoughts and emotions were required. He'd have to practice his masks, at least until he achieved his goal one day – freedom for both himself, and the people of Strahta.

 _\- Yu Liberte, 6 years later -_

' _Welcome to the party, Little Bro!'*_ It was all Hubert could manage not to recoil at the strange white-and-red haired girl's greeting. But he managed it, for the sake of his standing as a Lieutenant under the watchful eyes of the president. How dare she address a man of his standing as 'Little Bro'! What had Asbel been telling her? And didn't this girl know the dire nature of the situation they had just discussed? How could she be so chipper when not one, but TWO of the Valkines Cryas had been drained? There was something about this girl that got under his skin, which immediately set off alarms in his head. He wasn't sure what it was, but his instincts told him that with shifty characters like _her_ on board, the president had the right idea to send Hubert along to ensure things went smoothly. Goodness knows with a care-free attitude like that, she was probably hiding something. Probably the fact that she was some spy sent to disarm them in their attempts, distracting them with her striking good looks and scant clothing – goodness, her shorts were shorter than Cheria's skirt!* At least Cheria covered her arms and neck, but here this girl was exposing all! Such indecency! No doubt about it, this girl was trouble. As they say, 'If you want something done right, do it yourself'. There was no avoiding the necessity of Hubert coming along to ensure they all stayed on task.

' _Oh, all right, all right! We'll work together.'_ He acquiesced. Something in his gut told him that whatever he'd just agreed to would take him for a crazy ride. It made him a little sick, not being in absolute control of the situation, but perhaps there was still a little part of him that liked the unknown variable in the equation; the chance to take on the challenge of solving it and emerge more knowledgeable than before.

As the party left the president's headquarters to secure rooms at the inn, Hubert risked a furtive glance in the curious girl's – Pascal, they had called her – direction. He had mounting suspicions about the new members of the party, but the male – Malik – had at least struck him to be a logical man, and Hubert knew how to handle his type. But this one, this 'Pascal', was a loose cannon – unpredictable, and more dangerously, smarter than he was. ….Or maybe she was just crazy. But still, the girl seemed to learn things so quickly… and people say that with genius ability comes a measure of madness. He couldn't put a finger on it, but there was something about her that both piqued his curiosity such that he wanted to learn more, but also triggered all his safeguards and told him he should keep as far away as possible.

Not realizing he had been staring so long, he jumped when the object of his study met his gaze and got right to the point, "What's eatin' ya, Little Bro?"

"Er, I uh… I'm just deep in thought about our upcoming mission… Aren't you worried in the least?"

"Not at all! We've got an all-star team assembled and I'm sure no matter what the result, we'll have a blast and figure out how to restore the cryas along the way!" she chirped, her level of enthusiasm and positivity astonishing. "I'm excited to have you on board with us, now! It's sure to be a thrilling adventure!"

Hubert couldn't help but think that despite her love of hyperbole, her words would prove to be quite the understatement.

* * *

 **Footnotes**

 **Chapter Title "Adventure is Out There!"** – Perhaps one of the most famous lines in Disney/Pixar's movie, "Up". If you've never seen it, you HAVE to; it's completely adorable. I wanted to pain a similar picture between Hubert and Pascal's first meeting to Carl and Ellie's – since both couples feature a reserved male who secretly yearns for more, and an adventurous, no limits female, so I quoted Ellie's spunky "Adventure is Out There!" declaration to Carl for this title.

 **Northern Gate of Yu Liberte** – I couldn't confirm online (curse you, Google!) that this is indeed the correct direction to get to the seaport, so if anyone knows the definitive answer, please review or PM! I just went by my memory's best guess… was pretty sure the seaport is north of Yu Liberte, but I am unsure whether one leaves by the northern gate to get there… Tales of games can have some weird maps, and Graces is no exception. *cough* Wallbridge *cough* Wallbridge Ruins *cough* Arcadia Garden *cough* Sandshroud Ruins *cough* I'm still not entirely sure which was the most confusing to navigate. Which dungeon did you find the most confusing?

 **Ship** – It's mentioned in the childhood arc that the Lhant family is fond of boats and sailing, and there's a skit (#20 I believe) where Hubert confesses his love for boats and Cheria claims he fits into a male stereotype for it. There's also a side quest in the game about ships in bottles that Asbel, Hubert, and their father used to make. So it made sense to me that a secondary desire of Hubert's, if he couldn't pursue higher learning, would be the sea.

 **Walking stick** – I took a little bit of creative license here and assumed that since his choice weapon in the childhood arc was a stick and a double-headed spear in the adult arc, the stepping stone inbetween the two would be something like a bo staff.

' _ **Welcome to the party, Little Bro!'**_ – As far as my recollection serves, I believe this is the first time Hubert and Pascal met. But it's been a while since I've played, so if I'm wrong, please let me know and I'll amend the chapter accordingly.

 **Cheria's Skirt** – The shortness of which was discussed at length during the _'Furtive Glances'_ skit which takes place at a save point in the desert shortly after the events this chapter ends on.

 _A Note about Hubert_ – What I've tried to do in these last couple chapters is to provide insight into Hubert's character and how he transitioned from the Hubert of the childhood arc into the Hubert of the adult arc. I made my assumptions based on different scenes and skits from the game and wanted to document them here in case anyone got confused as to how I came to the conclusions I did. First off, it was emphasized in several skits (and maybe even a couple scenes) that Hubert was both a genius and compassionate. Therefore it would make sense for him to want to pursue science, medicine, learning/teaching. He's not a natural fighter. However due to *spoilers ahead* Sohpie's parting gift to her childhood companions at the end of the childhood arc, they all, including Hubert got special artes powers. Hubert's was never really defined, but based on the game play, I figured it was enhanced fighting or something. I also think he snuck in some healing abilities due to his love of studying medicine and his desire to care for people. Obviously, the compassionate Hubert from childhood doesn't act that way in the adult arc, and so I figured one natural cause of that could be living in a highly judgmental society where one must wear masks over their thoughts and emotions to survive. So it made sense to me that Hubert would learn to play by society's rules in order to bring about his agenda of enlightenment, so others wouldn't end up like him – traded to another father for political purposes and forced into a career he would never have chosen for himself. His passion to help others from the same fate is what fuels his need for excellence and perfection, and sometimes he can get lost in the effort and not realize the need for compassion in the present moment. Also being in such a society that's so heavily masked, it would make it extremely difficult to trust people, hence his reserved demeanor in the adult arc, especially when he first meets Pascal and Malik, it's downright accusatory.


	4. Off to See the Captain

_**Author's Note:**_ Sorry it's been so long! Summer is the busiest season for me, as I like to visit with friends and family, but it's also the busiest season at work due to our annual deadlines. In addition to that, I've had some health issues arise and my computer was dying, being repaired, dying again, repaired again, and ultimately just died… rather unlucky summer. So this is the first time I've got my computer back, hopefully for good this time, now that I've got a different boot drive on it – just as old as the original, 'cause I'm cheap like that, but at least it seems to be in working order. I've been just itching to write some more Huscal so I'm excited to finally be doing just that! I hope you all enjoy it!

 _ **Review Responses:**_ Wherein I address any questions/comments/concerns you lovely readers have graced me with.

 _NatGiratina_ – Thanks for taking the time to read the meta-data on my process! I may just be weird, but I enjoy watching a lot of the behind-the-scenes bonus features on DVDs and such, seeing how things were made; so I wanted to provide a level of that with my writing too. I'm also glad I persuaded you of Pascal's thoughts! That scene was the driving force behind me writing this fic. I felt that there was so much more to it than surface level and I wanted to dive into the minds of the characters as best I could. I just hope I interpreted them correctly, as their creators originally intended. My intent is not to make Hubert and Pascal my own, but to expand upon who those characters already are, filling in the gaps of their history, thoughts, and emotion with probable speculation.

 _ **A special shout-out to all the international readers out there!**_ I recently discovered the viewer locale breakdown chart, and I was surprised and amazed to find out people have been reading this fic not just from the U.S., but also from Argentina, Australia, Brazil, Canada, Chile, France, Finland, Germany, Hong Kong, Indonesia, Ireland, Italy, Japan, Malta, Mexico, New Zealand, the Philippines, Poland, Portugal, the Republic of Korea, the Russian Federation, Singapore, Sweden, Thailand, the U.K., and Venezuela! I had no idea that so many countries had so much love for Tales of Graces!

 _ **-H- & -P- Headings: **_Since this is the first chapter that will contain both of these headings, I wanted to make sure it was clear what they referred to. They indicate which main character (H: Hubert, P: Pascal) is the current narrator. I have sort of a weird writing style that's technically third person omniscient, but I tend to tailor it for a specific character who's got the dominant point of view for a scene. So anything that you're reading that's not in quotes and is under a -P- heading is Pascal's perceptions of the situation and other characters' actions. Italicized single quotes under the -P- heading are verbatim trains of thought in Pascal's head. So in effect, Pascal is the narrator of that section, either directly through verbatim thoughts or indirectly by describing the situation. There are occasionally exceptions to this, and they'll always be indicated explicitly. i.e. Malik thought to himself, _'Did I remember to lock up?'_

* * *

 **Chapter 4 – Off to See the Captain***

 _-P-_

 _\- The Amarcian Enclave, Present Day -_

Pascal was awoken by the familiar chirp of her favorite invention – okay, well, maybe not her FAVORITE favorite. There was also her shotstaff, Mecha-Sophie*, the automatic banana peeler, that thinga-mah-doo-hickey she made when she was four that she classified as her first successful invention… In any case, this was perhaps her _current_ favorite, as it allowed her to keep in contact with her new, but alas, faraway buddies. At least, some of them, anyway. 'Practically only o _ne of them… Malik's messages are typically infrequent and usually for Fourier'_.

Normally, she was far groggier when she woke up, but the promise of a new message from Hubert seemed to give her a newfound energy – another mysterious symptom she couldn't explain. Stretching and yawning as she sat up, she reached for the device and read the heading. "Eh? It's from Malik? I don't hear from him too often, wonder what he wants?"

Repressing the feeling of disappointment that had surprisingly crept up when she realized the message wasn't from the usual suspect, she opened up the message and read aloud, "Fourier tells me you've been cooped up at the enclave too long. Why don't you join me on a training tour I'm taking the soldiers on? We'll be swinging by Strahta, so if you come, be sure to pack for warm weather. Be at the Fendel Inn by sundown tomorrow if you're coming so we can rendezvous."

Flopping back onto the bed again in exasperation, Pascal cried, "First she wants me to stay here; now she wants to get rid of me? Gah, people make no sense!" But then again… she _could_ use a break; that much was true. She rolled onto her stomach to double check the details, considering the offer. _'They're going to Strahta… I could stop by and see Little Bro - I mean Hu. It would be nice to see some more of the gang. I haven't seen anyone in nearly a year!'_

Her thoughts were interrupted when the communicator twittered once more, and for a split second, she tensed, thinking Malik might be rescinding the offer. "Huh, guess I didn't realize how eager I was to take a vacation!" she hummed, spirits high now that she'd resolved to travel once again. Her sister was obviously okay with it; if she didn't go with Malik, she'd go to Strahta herself! ' _And Windor, of course, to see the others too... Maybe I could convince Hu to go with me.'_

When she glanced at the device, she saw that this time the message was from Hubert. "Well speak of the devil!" She exclaimed with cheer, her spirits continuing to climb. "'Pascal, I heard there was an accident at your place. Are you alright? Regards, Hubert'. Aw, how sweet! Gosh, word travels fast. Guess Malik sent him a note or somethin'."

Pascal smiled to herself, running a thumb over the needless signature. Always a creature of habit. Every single message she'd received from him, starting with the first she'd gotten a couple months after the group had parted ways, had always begun and ended the same: 'Pascal… Regards, Hubert'. Malik never bothered, nor did she. It was pretty easy to tell whom the message had come from just by the manner in which each person spoke. Malik was always direct, Hubert was always formal, and she was, well, Pascal.

'Haha, you heard about that, huh? No big dealio, you know me! I'm ready for anything!' she punched into the communicator in reply to Hubert. Now to respond to Malik and pack a few essentials. She was going to Strahta!

* * *

Pascal stepped out into the cold, tugging her coat tighter against the strong winds. Not the best weather for a trip down the mountain. At least the fur coat was thick and heavy, providing good insulation. A few good miles in and a couple small fry monsters down and she'd soon be sweating.

Unfortunately, the 'small-fry' monsters seemed to be on vacation as well, for Pascal had hardly gone two quiet miles before she heard the all too familiar footfalls of something large… something most likely related to the coat she was wearing. The mountains near the Amarcian Enclave were notoriously guarded by some large, ferocious creatures – that's how they'd been able to hide under the radar from the rest of the world so well. It's just that, normally, they didn't hang out quite so _close_ to the enclave… She was pretty confident in her abilities, especially with how much she'd learned on her travels with the all-star team last year, but maybe she was a little… _out of practice,_ currently… Plus she had had support from six other people* last year. _'Maybe if I cover my head with the fur coat and mosey on all fours… the beast will think I'm family! It could be like a family reunion! Oh wait, they usually have good noses, he could probably smell that this pelt is dead… Oh no! What if he's smelling it now and thinking I'm an easy meal! Maybe I shouldn't have made a fur coat from the boar I saved Lil' Bro from…*'_ It must have been the adrenaline getting to her, for she felt her temperature starting to rise. Her pulse was also quickening and it felt like her heart was pounding in her ears. A rustle in the trees over the horizon reached her ears, and she instinctively reached for her shotstaff…

"Oh no! My shotstaff! Where is it!?" She yelped in alarm as her hand swiped air, forgetting the need for stealth. "….whoops…" She gasped as she realized her error and a loud growl resounded from the trees. She took a step back, willing her legs to run toward the enclave, but her brain seemed to have chosen the 'fright' response in the "Fight or Flight" choice. Wait, fright wasn't supposed to be one of the choices!

Her brain snapped back to reality as the tree line broke and a large, dark, and perhaps slightly grumpy –

 _GRRRRRROOOOOOAAAAARRRRRRRR*!_

' _Okay! Make that REALLY grumpy boar!'_

"BWAAHHH!" She yelped, finally convincing her legs to start running.

* * *

 _-H-_

 _\- Mt. Zavhert, A little over a year ago –_

" _No! Don't turn your back on him, Little Bro!"_ Unfortunately, her warning came too late, and Hubert felt himself being propelled into the snow. _'Not sure what she was so worried about, that was nothing.'_ He thought, propping himself back up. _"Pascal,"_ he began, intending to assert his superior knowledge and control of the situation with something along the lines of, "Is that all you were worried about? Just watch as I put this creature out of its misery." He stopped short, however, when he saw that there was no creature where he had just stood and instead, Pascal was knocked down as well, looking a little battered. Did this mean… the collision he felt just then, had been her, knocking him out of the way? He had little time to process it as Malik called them all into formation. The beast suddenly looked far more formidable now, and given the speed it had just exhibited, this was going to be an intense battle.

It was difficult to fight when one was preoccupied with their own, battling thoughts. He had been so _sure_ that Pascal and Malik were untrustworthy, but here they were, putting their lives on the line to protect him and his childhood friends. It didn't add up, unless… _'I made an error…'_ It wasn't something that happened often, and admitting it was something that happened even less frequently. Never in all his time in the military had he made such an off-base error. He'd have to try and repair the situation, somehow. After all, he was an Oswell; errors are not to be tolerated. In order to uphold the Oswell name, to save face with the military… Oh, who was he fooling? That might be the reason he'd give if ever asked, but he couldn't fool himself. He felt terrible for misjudging these kind-hearted people – for letting his biases affect his judgement. _'When did I become so Strahtan? So prejudiced? I've become the very thing I hate…'_ Steeling himself for an uncomfortable apology and inevitable angry backlash, Hubert poured himself into the battle so he could face them with honor.

The boar finally fell, slain, and the group stood, catching their breath, while Hubert faced away, too ashamed of his actions before the battle to turn and make his plead for forgiveness. He was dreading their responses, though he knew he deserved every bit of it. With luck, they wouldn't be any worse than his father, Mr. Oswell. On the edge of his consciousness, he heard her voice; she was saying she was fine, of all things… How could she be 'fine'? After what he'd done… It didn't make any sense. He had to ask her to explain.

" _After all those things I said to you…"_ he breathed, finding his voice at last, albeit a little husky with nerves, "…why did you help me?" _'I deserved the opposite… for you to applaud at the justice that had been served when the boar plowed me over.'_

" _Wuh? One of our team was in danger, what did you think I'd do?"_ She asked, as if it were the simplest matter in the world. What had he done to deserve her loyalty? She wasn't his underling in the military, he hadn't done anything that would make her trust him nor be indebted to him. Were there really people in the world that could make a decision like that, unconditionally? All his life he'd been taught that life was a matter of give and take – or in his case, take and take. No one had ever given him anything without taking first. Just how badly had he misjudged her?

" _Our team…"_ What did she mean by that? His head was beginning to spin, overwhelmed by his perceptions being flipped upside-down. This girl he thought he had pegged was now a perfect enigma, and he found himself oddly intrigued. Further study would have to wait, though, as he was finding it hard to think rationally after all this excitement. He chose to instead switch gears and properly apologize for his blunder, _"You were hurt because of me. I'm sorry, Pascal."_ How long had it been since he'd said those words? Nay, since he _meant_ them? He had many a time made political apologies since joining the military and needing to deal in political matters in Strahta. Not anywhere in his recent memory could he recall a sincere apology like the one he was making now.

" _Aw, no worries, Little Bro!"_ …and then she just blew it off like it was nothing. Just who WAS this woman?!

" _How can you smile after all that?"_ _'If she continues to baffle me with her answers, we'll never get anywhere with this conversation, and I need to apologize to the captain as well for my behavior.' "…And Captain Malik. You have a right to be angry with me as well."_

Hubert found Malik's responses to be more up his alley, but no less surprising. They were firm and polite, everything Hubert would expect from a fellow military leader. But they were also wise and forgiving, indicating a stout and caring heart. Just what sort of people made up this 'team'? They were so different than the people he was used to, and he found it more than a little unnerving that he couldn't read them. There were outliers, falling outside the mold of ambitious self-absorbed fighters whom he'd trained with and led for so long. The girl was by far the most indiscernible of all, and something about her made him want to know her better even if it felt like an impossible task. He wasn't sure what it was, but he was determined to get to the bottom of it someday. The captain… suddenly he felt like he had a mentor, maybe even somewhat of a father figure, to look up to, to learn from… Malik seemed sturdy and wise; just the type of no-nonsense, direct person who never lost sight of a goal.

* * *

 _\- Fendel Inn, Present Day –_

"Bartender! Another!" a rugged blond fellow slurred, gloved hand slamming a shot glass onto the wooden bar.

"No can do, Malik. You're drunk. I'm cutting you off." the bartend replied calmly, swiping the empty glass and placing it in a nearby washbin.

Malik gave a hearty laugh before insisting, "Nah; I swear to drunk I'm not god!"

"Oh my, you're so funny!" a bubbly raven-haired dame chuckled, prompting Malik to tighten his one-armed hold on her waist.

Turning his attentions to her, the captain managed a response inbetween hiccups, "You – hic- know… I used to be in a -hic- a-an improv troupe*."

"Ooo really?" another giggling girl, this one brunette, asked. "What made you leave?"

"Why," he began with a flirtatious smirk, "all the pretty ladies here, of course!"

"Oh, stop it, you~" the brunette cooed. "A man like you; surely you've got a girlfriend!"

"No, I – "

"Liar!" The black-haired one cried, "All the girls say they've been seeing you hanging around an exotic looking woman recently… Has the most peculiar white and red hair…"

"The Amarcian? No way she can hold a candle to – hic – you, babe!"

"What about me!?" The brunette pouted, handing him a fresh cocktail she'd just ordered. "I even got you another drink~"

"Thanks, doll. The both of sweeter are far you!" he replied, eliciting more giggles from the two.

* * *

 _-P-_

 _\- Mt. Zavhert, a couple miles outside of the Amarcian Enclave –_

Pascal ignored the stitch in her side indicating that her muscles were screaming for more oxygen and pressed on as fast as her legs could carry her, praying she reached the enclave before the boar caught up to her. _'Almost… there!'_ The enclave was ahead, just around the corner and a little further. _'Come on, Pascal, you totally got this!'_

Hope granting her a little extra energy, she pushed her legs even harder until – "GAH!"

The fleeing Amarcian found herself face-planted into the snow, her foot caught on a tree root that had been buried beneath the snow. Behind her she heard the angry bellowing of the boar closing in.

' _Is this it? Am I going to…. to_ die _here?_ _No…. there's still so much I want to do!'_ It must be true, what people said about seeing your life flash before your eyes before you kick the bucket, for she suddenly found herself remembering falling into almost the same spot a year before, when the rest of band was there, and they defeated another boar like this. The time she made her first official friend.

* * *

 _\- The same location, a little over a year ago –_

" _I owe you a debt and it must be paid."_ Little Bro had insisted, tallying another mark in Pascal's book of "Weird Things About Little Bro". Not that she was one to talk. She was so weird, no one hung around her for long! It didn't really bother her or anything, and besides, she found technology and history far more interesting. That's why she had decided to go exploring on her own so often. She felt far more at home when she was away from home, discovering new things and meeting people who cared about the same things she did. Why, just a couple months ago she had come across a professor who was studying ancient Amarcian ruins, just like her! They had spent hours discussing their findings; it was a total blast! Unfortunately, those friendships didn't last long as each had to go their own separate way. So Pascal had really been enjoying this recent adventure, tagging with a bunch of people for a longer term. So far, everything had been going pretty great! But it had been irking her that their newest addition, Asbel's little brother, had such a mistrust of her. That was new. She'd been called 'weird' many a time before, but never untrustworthy. That had been the first tally in the book. She was somewhere in the thirties now.

" _Huh. Well, that's kinda weird, but y'okay."_ Rattling off the first favor she could think of, she had asked him to carry back the boar. It was the prey of choice for the enclave Amarcians. Whenever a hunting party went out, they usually came back with smaller game, but when they could manage a Bladhorn Boar*, that was cause for a feast! In addition to food, they'd salvage materials for tools and even clothing. _'I've been needing a new winter coat. The mane makes a great insulator against this frigid cold, too!'_ Unfortunately, Little Bro didn't seem up to the task, so she made a mental note to let one of the hunting parties know as soon as they got to the enclave. They'd be able to salvage it.

" _In that case…"_ She pondered for a moment, wondering what else she could request to balance the scales as Little Bro had required. _'Oh I know! This is the perfect opportunity to make my first friend! Fourier keeps complaining that I need one for some reason. And since we're all on this mission for a while, it could work!'_ Rushing forward and eagerly grabbing the shocked lieutenant's hand, she exclaimed, _"You have to promise to be my friend!"_

* * *

 _\- The same location, present day –_

' _At least I can say I've had a good last year, surrounded by my first six friends….'_

"Flowing Strike*!" a voice shouted, causing the boar to roar in pain.

"Fourier!" Pascal exclaimed, quite sure she'd never been happier to see anyone before in her whole life. She was standing over her younger sister, with the shotstaff Pascal had forgotten in hand.

"Hurry!" Fourier yelled, helping Pascal to her feet. "We must get back to the enclave before it recovers!"

Pascal didn't need to be told twice. The two of them high-tailed it to the entrance and slammed the doors behind them, panting heavily.

"Fwew! That was close! Nice going, sis! You totally showed him what's what!"

"Ugh, I can't BELIEVE you! Leaving without even taking your weapon!" Fourier shrieked, shoving the aforementioned weapon into Pascal's hands.

"Aw, no worries, Fourier. It all worked out hunky dory!"

Growling, Fourier turned her back and stormed off into the enclave, pausing only to inform her sister, "I'm going to get a hunting party to take care of that boar. You just sit tight until I'm back and can escort you to Fendel myself!"

Pascal chuckled to herself, amused at Fourier's indirect means of showing affection. She didn't quite catch it all, but it sounded like Fourier was muttering something along the lines of "Honestly, she'll be the death of me – can't wait – she'll be long gone and someone else's problem – wonder how long until Hubert – " as she marched off into the distance.

* * *

 _\- Fendel Inn –_

"We made it!" Pascal announced jubilantly, nearly knocking the door off its hinges in her enthusiasm and garnering the stunned stares of the lobby inhabitants. "Eh, Fourier? Where'd you go?"

Ducking back outside for a moment, Pascal found that her companion had fled around the corner. "Fourier?"

"Shhhh… after making a scene like that, I can't be associated with you and still save face. I'll join you later!" she explained before taking off down the street.

"Huh. And she says _I'm_ weird." Pascal mused, clasping her hands behind her head as she watched Fourier retreat.

Re-entering the inn, Pascal booked a room for Fourier and herself, stashed her fur coat and shotstaff there*, then went in search of Malik. Figuring he'd be in the bar lounge sooner or later, she made her way there and settled on a bar stool when she ascertained that he was not currently present.

She waited patiently while the barkeep enthusiastically waited on a couple of dark-haired girls who appeared to be trying to flirt their way to discounted drinks. Once he finally finished with their orders, he approached Pascal with a friendly smile and asked, "What'll be, missy?"

"Hmmm… I'm actually kinda hungry; do you got any food?"

"Sure, whatcha got a cravin' for?"

"Bananas!"

"Er… we only serve desserts with bananans…"

"Y'okay! Sounds pretty sweet!" _'Pun intended. Hu would totally groan at that one!'_

"May I recommend the Bananas Foster? It's a dessert made with bananas, sweet ice cream, and our house rum sauce, so it'll sooth all your cravings at once!"

"Sure! I'll take two of those!"

"Two? You expecting someone?" The bartender asked inquisitively with cocked brow, as though he didn't believe it was possible, or just didn't want it to be.

"Eh, maybe. If no one shows, I'll just eat it myself!" Pascal affirmed with a smile, secretly hoping for the latter.

"Very well. Two Bananas Foster, coming right up!" he exclaimed with a wink, withdrawing to the kitchen.

"…red and white hair!" Pascal's ears perked up as she heard this whispered from one of the two dark-haired girls the bartender had previously been flirting with. Suddenly feeling a little awkward, Pascal pretended to busy herself picking lint off her gloves. _'How long has it been since I washed this outfit? I really can't remember! At least I got Fourier to let us leave without washing it first – it would've taken forever to dry! As it is, I nearly froze to death after she insisted I bathe before we left the enclave and didn't even let me get properly dried off first…'_

"…Malik's girlfriend, you think?" the whispers continued, causing the hairs on Pascal's neck to stand on end. They knew Malik? He had a girlfriend?

"Hey, are you really an Amarcian?" One suddenly asked in a loud voice, obviously addressing Pascal.

"Yuppers!" she responded, not really sure what she was about to get herself into.

"Hmm… so _you're_ the one. What makes _you_ so special, hm?" the other girl pressed, approaching Pascal's seat.

Recoiling instinctively, the bewildered engineer blundered, "Wha-?"

"It's the hair, Faina. Men like exotic things, you know."

"I dunno, Eva, she's not as pretty as we are."

"Er, I'm not sure I follow… Does this have something to do with Malik?" Pascal asked, trying to piece the mystery together.

"It has EVERYTHING to do with Malik!" Eva exclaimed with a huff, "I think it's only fair to warn you; we've got dibs on him now. Your boyfriend must have gotten bored with you because he's been hanging with us nearly _all_ day."

"Wuuhh?" If anything, Pascal was even more confused now than before. _'Boyfriend? And why does Hubert's face suddenly come to mind? They're talking about Malik…'_

"Pascal!" a gruff voice called from behind them, nearly making Pascal jump a mile high in surprise.

"Malik!" She exclaimed, throwing her arms around him. "It's like, completely awesome to see you!" Had it really been nearly a year since she'd seen him?

"Glad to see you too, Honey!" the captain teased, at which Eva and Faina scoffed, apparently deciding to give up and return to their seats.

Even more perplexed now that Malik had called her 'Honey', she suppressed the urge to question when he motioned for her to quietly follow him to a table, out of earshot from the two troublesome females.

Once they were seated, Malik gave her an apologetic look before explaining, "Sorry about that, I had tried to extract some information out of them earlier, but they turned out to be a dead end. Since then, I haven't been able to shake them off of me. I was hoping they'd have packed up and left while I was napping. Thanks for letting me claim you as my girlfriend to avoid them."

"Oh is that what that was all about? No worries, Cap! Pascal has got you covered!"

"Thanks…. But hey, do me a favor and don't tell Fourier… or Hubert… or rather, it's best to keep this between just the two of us."

"Eh? Why not Fourier or Hu?"

"Well, you know… I see Fourier pretty often these days, and if you can't figure out why telling Hubert would be a bad idea, I'm gonna have to have another man-to-man chat with him."

"Huh?"

"Malik! Pascal!" Fourier had just found them, and was on her way towards them, looking suddenly rather different to Pascal. _'I can't put my finger on it… she looks so… radiant all of a sudden. Did she freshen up in our room before joining us? That's one of her nice outfits, not what she wore on the way here… did she re-do her hair? No wait, I got it! She's usually frowning in disapproval, but she's actually SMILING right now!'_

"Fourier… are you feeling okay?" Pascal blurted, causing a red tinge to spread across Fourier's cheeks.

"Wh-why wouldn't I be?"

"I dunno… You're just acting weird, and you're turning all red and stuff." _'Wait… don't tell me… could she possibly have a thing for the captain?'_

"R-ridiculous! I'm always like this!"

"Can I get you anything to eat or drink, Fourier?" Malik interjected, standing and pulling out a chair for their new guest.

"Oh, th-thank you, Malik." Fourier took the seat graciously and hastily grabbed a menu, burying her nose in it, perhaps hoping to conceal her reddening face.

Just then the bartender appeared, two dishes in tow. "Your Bananas Foster, ma'am. Oh! I see you have another guest! Would you like another, on the house, of course, for the inconvenient wait?"

"Y'okay! I never turn down free bananas!" Pascal replied cheerfully, taking the tray he offered and placing one in front of herself and the other inbetween Malik and Fourier.

"Right away, miss!" he replied with another wink before turning about face back to the kitchen.

Malik suppressed a laugh until the kitchen doors swung shut again. "I think he likes you, Pascal!"

"Huh? What makes you say that?"

Sighing, Malik's demeanor took a serious turn as he creased his brow and took both Pascal's hands in his, "Pascal… it seems to me that you're grossly naïve. I'd be happy to educate you in the ways of love."

"…Eh?" was all a befuddled Pascal could manage to say while her sister sat bolt upright, a look of sheer terror on her face.

* * *

 **Footnotes**

 **Chapter Title: Off to See the Captain** – A reference to the song in The Wizard of Oz where they sing, "We're off to see the wizard! The wonderful Wizard of Oz!"

 **Mecha-Sophie** – The prize for side quest _#66: Death of a Humanoid_. While not an original invention of Pascal's, I figured it would be a favorite because of Pascal's love of Sophie and all things Mecha.

 **Support from Six Other People** – 1: Asbel, 2: Cheria, 3: Hubert, 4: Malik, 5: Richard, 6: Sohpie, just in case people accuse me of counting wrong. I included Richard from L &L even though he's not one of the original playable characters in the main arc. I also counted the whole gang instead of the usual 4 characters restriction used in tales of battles. Why? I think that's purely a game mechanic and wouldn't make sense in a real life situation. "Oh, there's a big scary monster? Well, I think you four can handle it; us fifth and sixth wheels are gonna sit this one out and have a spot of tea; maybe play a round of cards. Have fun trying not to die without us!"

 **The Boar I Saved Lil Bro from / Bladhorn Boar** – The beast that's the boss battle at the top of Mt. Zavhert before the gang first gets to visit the Amarcian Enclave. I know it's a bit of a stretch, but I wanted to give Pascal a token to remember the occasion of her and Hubert becoming friends. I figured if she wanted to salvage the boar for meat, it would make sense to salvage other things, just as plenty of monster materials are salvaged from fights as ingredients for the dualizer. Sure, boars don't usually make good candidates for fur coats, but the Bladhorn Boar had a healthy and colorful mane, and Pascal's a colorful, weird person… so there you have it.

 **GRRRRRROOOOOOAAAAARRRRRRRR** _–_ Something between a Growl and Roar. Why? Because when I imagine how the Bladhorn Boar would sound, that's what comes to mind. Anyone else? No? Just me? Okay…

 **[Malik] Used to be in an Improv Troupe** – At the conclusion of side quest _#60 Opening Night_ , around the time when Malik receives the Best Supporting Actor title, he admits that he used to be in an improvisation troupe. While obscure, I wanted to bring that into this story to show that Malik has a fun, silly side still, even after all he's gone through.

 **Flowing Strike** – _'Ruten'_ in the original Japanese, is one of Pascal's assault style artes. Sure, Fourier isn't a playable character nor ever really depicted as a fighter (that I can remember, anyway, let me know if I'm recalling incorrectly), but where do you think Pascal learned to fight? I'm betting the shotstaff was a weapon designed collaboratively between Pascal and Fourier, and thus they developed fighting techniques together, probably even sparred from time to time. Edit: Thank you, AdamthePyromancer, for filling me in! So Fourier IS a fighting character in the game; a boss in the Zhonecage bonus dungeon. I actually had no clue that dungeon existed... heh... heh... But in my defense, I only played through the game to clear it... whatever I didn't finish during the main arc (with whatever side events I could complete en route), so I haven't really delved into all the extra after-game stuff. I did start a plus game the other day, but I'm only about halfway through the child arc. I realized that I needed to wait a bit more so I can re-enjoy the story. Unfortunately, writing this fic is keeping the story more fresh in my mind than usual since I have to keep referencing it, re-watching skits and scenes to make sure I've got my facts straight for this.

 **Stashed Her Fur Coat and** **Shotstaff** – Pascal doesn't strike me as the type to pack and tote bags around while traveling. When we first meet her in Graces, she's travelling alone and as the story progressed, we learned that she'd been travelling for a long time. It's my belief that she's a low-maintenance kind of gal (goes hand in hand with infrequent bathing) that only takes what she absolutely needs. This is why, I believe, the girl's got so many freaking pockets. Her shorts are basically built-in, 360-degree (or 2pi radians, for all you math geeks out there who love the Mathematician-named Amarcians) fanny packs, and if that wasn't enough, she's got enough pouches up and down her suspenders to replace a professional fisherman's tackle box. Honestly, I think the gist of the contents are tools for archeology and experiments.

* * *

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